Morning arrived with a dull gray sky, the kind that promised either rain or just an annoyingly cold day. Reiji stood at the train station, hands shoved in his pockets as he waited for his usual ride to school.
The platform was packed with students and office workers, but his focus wasn't on the crowd.
It was on a very specific person standing a few feet away.
Sena.
She was leaning against a column, arms crossed, eyes fixed on her phone as if the rest of the world didn't exist. Even in the middle of a crowded station, she had a presence that made her stand out. Not because she was loud or flashy, but because of the way she carried herself—like she had no time for anyone's nonsense.
Reiji exhaled slowly. He had no intention of talking to her. The last thing he wanted was to start his morning with one of their usual clashes.
Unfortunately, fate wasn't on his side.
A sudden movement in the crowd sent a rushing wave of people forward as the train approached. Reiji stepped back to avoid getting shoved, but in doing so—
—he bumped into Sena.
Hard.
"The hell?!" Sena shot him a sharp glare, her phone nearly slipping from her hand.
Reiji straightened immediately, raising his hands in surrender. "Not my fault. Someone pushed me."
"Tch." She clicked her tongue in annoyance, brushing imaginary dust off her sleeve. "Watch where you're standing next time."
Reiji narrowed his eyes. "You think I wanted to bump into you? Believe me, that's the last thing I'd do."
Sena let out a scoff, shaking her head as if he wasn't worth her time. "Whatever."
The train doors slid open, and before Reiji could fire back with another remark, she stepped inside without sparing him a second glance.
Reiji sighed. *Great start to the day.*
—
By the time the first break came around, Reiji had mostly put the morning's annoyance behind him.
Mostly.
"Yo."
Kaito plopped down in the seat beside him, pulling out a neatly wrapped sandwich from his bag. "Guess who got a homemade bento today?"
Reiji smirked. "Let me guess—Yuna made it for you?"
Kaito grinned. "Damn right she did."
Reiji leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "I swear, she's spoiling you. You're gonna forget how to survive on your own at this rate."
Kaito took a dramatic bite of his sandwich. "Maybe, but who cares? I'm living the dream."
Reiji chuckled. "You're unbelievable."
Kaito wagged a finger at him. "You say that, but deep down, I know you're jealous."
Reiji scoffed. "Yeah, sure. I'm jealous of you being treated like a toddler."
"Hey, toddlers don't get hand-written love notes in their lunchbox." Kaito smirked, pulling out a tiny folded paper from his bento. "Jealous yet?"
Reiji rolled his eyes but couldn't help a small smile. As much as he made fun of Kaito, he was genuinely happy for him.
But that happiness was also mixed with something else—a quiet realization that he wanted something like that for himself.
And the person he wanted it with…
His gaze unconsciously drifted toward the far side of the classroom, where Aoi sat, chatting with a few friends.
Kaito followed his line of sight and smirked. "Oh? So that's how it is."
Reiji snapped his attention back. "Shut up and eat your sandwich."
Kaito laughed but didn't push further.
—
The rest of the day passed without much issue, and soon enough, school had ended.
Reiji found himself wandering outside, debating whether to go straight home or kill some time elsewhere. He wasn't in a rush.
But as he turned a corner near the school gates—
He nearly collided with someone.
Sena.
Again.
She clicked her tongue, stepping back quickly. "You again?"
Reiji exhaled. "Believe me, I'm not thrilled about it either."
She narrowed her eyes. "Then stop getting in my way."
"Maybe you're the one getting in *my* way."
Sena let out a low laugh, shaking her head. "Delusional."
Reiji folded his arms. "You know, if you hate me that much, maybe you should start avoiding *me* instead."
Sena gave him a flat look. "That's the plan."
With that, she brushed past him, walking off without a second glance.
Reiji stood there for a moment, watching her disappear into the distance.
It was strange.
He didn't *like* her. Not even a little.
But for some reason, every time they talked, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were going to keep crossing paths—whether they wanted to or not.
And that thought annoyed him more than anything.
—